This invention relates to a system for mounting photographs and the like, and more particularly to a system and method for mounting front loaded photographs or other thin flat items into recesses in the surface of a piece of wood or other solid substrate. It also relates to a method to create special shapes for the mounting recesses, such as circles, ovals, hearts and rectangles. This system is particularly useful for providing multiple shapes for displaying photographs in linear substrates, such wood trim or molding.
While many systems and techniques are available for mounting photographs or other thin flat items from the back side of a frame, in order to display the items under a glass or plastic photograph protector, there are many times when it is desired to recess and retain the photographs from the front side of the mounting structure. This is particularly the case where the back of the mounting structure is inaccessible or inconvenient to reach. For example, it may be desirable to recess and retain a photograph in a piece of a polished wood of considerable thickness, or in a desktop or molding where only the front surface is accessible.
A number of prior art systems are known for mounting photographs and the like from the front side of a recess or picture frame. These known systems usually require that the recess include a groove in the sidewall, or a flanged retaining frame with the flange overhanging the perimeter of the recess, or rectangular inner frames which are press fit into the recess. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,836,035-Matys shows a front-loaded coin and picture frame, in which coins or photographs are held in a recess by means of an expanding circular spring ring fitting in a groove in the sidewall. There currently exists a round plastic photograph frame insert assembly that holds a photograph in a round recess. It uses a flanged retaining ring design, whereby the flange overhangs the perimeter of the recess, and the photograph is held inside the insert by separate backing piece that snaps into the insert. This complete assembly is then pressed into the recess. Molded tabs on the perimeter of the insert ring press against the sidewall of the recess to hold it in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,858 issued Jul. 10, 1990 to Dailey shows (FIG. 3) a rectangular inner clamping frame of plastic which frictionally engages the edges of an outer recess holding a photograph with rectangular dimensions loaded from the front. The inner rectangular clamping frame is dimensioned to be held frictionally in place within a recess with planar sidewalls.
Other front loaded frames with mounting members providing frictional engagement within a recess are disclosed in the following patents, which are exemplary of the prior art.
Front loading systems for mounting photographs and the like are often utilized to provide multiple photograph displays. Systems for multiple picture displays utilizing various mounting systems are disclosed in the following patents, which are exemplary of the prior art.
It would be desirable to have a simple system for mounting photographs from the front in wood or similar substrate materials. It would also be desirable to have a simple system for providing a recess of a particular shape from the front of the substrate, combined with a simple system for retaining a photograph in the recess.
It would also be desirable to have a system and method for providing multiple front-loaded photographs in a wood base or molding.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting front-loaded photographs and similar thin objects.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method for mounting and displaying photographs in a wood substrate.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for mounting multiple photographs in the front surface of a substrate.
Briefly stated the invention comprises a method and system for mounting and retaining front loaded photographs, comprising a substrate having a planar front surface defining at least one recess therein, the recess having a planar bottom surface and having a smooth sidewall joining the planar surfaces, which sidewall defines a continuous curvilinear periphery of the recess having a first peripheral outline and a first peripheral dimension; a transparent protective cover adapted to hold a photograph against the planar bottom surface with a curvilinear periphery arranged to fit inside the recess; and a flexible retaining ring of substantially uniform cross section having a periphery with a second peripheral dimension substantially the same as the first peripheral dimension of the recess, the flexible retaining ring being disposed in the recess so as to assume the first peripheral outline and to hold the protective cover in place by frictional engagement with the smooth sidewall of the recess.
In its preferred embodiment the substrate is wood and the retaining ring is plastic. Curvilinear shapes may be circular, elliptical, heart-shaped, or rectangular with filleted corners. The term xe2x80x9ccurvilinearxe2x80x9d is defined herein to include straight lines joined by curved lines, but to exclude straight lines intersecting with one another. Multiple display recesses are easily produced in wooden substrates, or in lengths of molding or trim for easily loading multiple photographs from the front side.